Crisis of Place: Preserving Folk and Vernacular Architecture in New York
Saturday, April 2, 2016 at The Cooper Union in New York City
- What is the folk and vernacular architecture of New York State? What makes it "folk" or "vernacular"?
- How are the conditions of urban and rural life in 2016 challenging traditional architectural practices among various ethnic and regional communities?
- Who is sustaining vernacular design and construction in the face of globalization and gentrification, and why?
This one-day gathering of folklorists, historical preservation advocates, community members and scholars, students, museum professionals, architects, urban planners, and other cultural workers will address questions concerning the significant crisis in our understanding of everyday landscapes and built environments: where and what is the folk and vernacular architecture of 21st century America? The day-long conversation will include presentations by architects and architectural historians, a community-based advocacy panel with current advocates from both metropolitan and Upstate New York, walking tours, presentations by graduate level emerging scholars, and a closing plenary in roundtable format open to a wider community discussion.
Our esteemed speakers include: Michael Ann Williams (President, American Folklore Society and Professor of Folklore, Western Kentucky University); Annie Polland (Senior Vice President, Education & Programs, Lower East Side Tenement Museum); Cynthia Falk (Associate Professor of Material Culture, The Cooperstown Graduate Program); Molly Garfinkel (Director, Place Matters/City Lore); Nancy Solomon (Director, Long Island Traditions); Joseph Sciorra (Director for Academic and Cultural Programs, John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College); and graduate students specializing in folk and vernacular architecture, and many more!
For more information: http://www.nyfolklore.org/progs/conf2016.html
